Pleas in pet food case

World at a Glance

KANSAS CITY -- A company and its owners have agreed to plead guilty in connection with melamine-tainted pet food that may have killed thousands of dogs and cats in 2007, according to a court document.

An attorney for Stephen Miller, co-owner of ChemNutra Inc., said his client had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and would plead guilty plea at a hearing June 16, according to the papers filed in court last week. Miller's wife, Sally Miller, and Las Vegas-based ChemNutra also plan to plead guilty, the filing said.

The Millers and ChemNutra, along with two Chinese companies, were indicted in February 2008 on charges alleging they imported wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine.

According to the indictment, ChemNutra picked up the melamine-tainted product in Kansas City, then sold it to makers of various brands of pet food.